This invention relates to an improved means for mounting drumheads onto a drum.
Drumheads have been mounted to a drum shell by a variety of different means. In the past, drumheads were mounted by a drum hoop or rim which was tightened by screws to apply tension to the drumhead. The screws required an anchoring means affixed to the drum shell. As the screws were tightened, the pitch or tone of the drum was altered. In snare drums, which require two drumheads, the screws for both heads might be held by a single anchoring means affixed to the drum shell to avoid the additional cost associated with providing screws for each drumhead with separate anchoring means. Additionally, a dual function anchoring means provided a much more simplistic and aesthetically pleasing appearance.
In an effort to overcome the distinct disadvantages associated with tuning drumheads, pre-tuned drumheads were developed. Thus, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,308,782; 4,416,181 and 4,469,001, the disclosures of which are specifically incorporated by reference herein, related to pre-tuned drumheads and the chemistry of such heads.
These improvements represented significant advances in the art because they allowed drummers to quickly replace broken drumheads or achieve a different pitch or tone. In addition, such drumheads could be held in place by a simple quick release snap since the tension of the drumhead would not need to be adjusted by screws. In mounting such heads to a drum, an apparatus for mounting a head on a musical instrument, as described in U.S. Ser. No. 416,069, filed Sept. 8, 1982, to Hartry, et al., assigned to the Assignee of this application, the disclosure of which is specifically incorporated herein, is particularly useful. These latches were utilized on drums manufactured by the Assignee under the trademark "PTS". However, these drums would utilize separate quick release snaps for both heads in a staggered fashion. This assembly is depicted in FIG. 1.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,324, assigned to the Assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is specifically incorporated herein by reference, describes a quickly removable drumhead for use on heads which are not pre-tuned. The quick release mechanism allowed the drum rim to be retensioned to the same tension which existed prior to replacement of the head. To the extent that the new drumhead differed from the former drumhead, tensioning could be adjusted by screws. However, this construction required part of the quick release mechanism to be removed from the drum in order to change drumheads. Thus, although this mechanism represented an improvement over prior devices, it still required a separate drum rim which had to be removed and replaced. Accordingly, there exists a need for a simple, quick means for replacing drumheads which may still be adjusted by tensioning if the drumhead is not pre-tuned.
In addition, there also exists a need for an improved quick release mechanism for snare drums which utilize two drumheads in a thin shell. Up until now, the narrow shell has prevented those skilled in the art from providing a snare drum with a quick release mechanism that did not require separate anchoring means for both drumheads. In addition, the narrow shell has served to accentuate the aesthetic considerations appurtenant to separate anchoring means for each drumhead. Accordingly, there exists a need for a quick release drumhead mechanism for snare drums which utilized a dual anchoring means.